Corset.



' Patehted May 20, I902. A. E. PARSONS.

CORSET.

(Application filed Jan. 2, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I (No Model.)

In?) enimr:

Witnesses.-

we oam: PEIERS cu. uoTou'mm. WASHINGTON. 0 c4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANNIE E. PARSONS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CORSET.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,00,556, dated May 20, 1902. Application filed January 2, 1902s, Serial F0. 88.014. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be itknown that I, ANNIE E. PnRsoNs, of loston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a corset which-while affording all the su pport desirable for the portions of the body which it covers shall be flexible at its waist portion, so that the wearers body can bend or move freelyin various directions, and pa'rticularly sidewise, without discomfort and without injury to the corset.

The invention consists in the improvement which I will now claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of one of the side sections or v halves of my improved corset. Fig. 1 represents a section on the line l 1 Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of the complete corset. Fig. 3 represents a front View or elevation of the same.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

My improved corset/is composed of twoside pieces or sections, which are 'of the general construction shown in Fig. l and; each hav members, as usual. The rear edge of each of; the side sections or corset-halves is provided with one or more vertical continuous-stiffening members 6, two of said members being shown in this case, there being a row of eyelets 0 between the members I) b for the reception of the usual back lacing d.

e 6 represent a series of horizontal stifiening members, preferably strips of whalebone located close together, edge to edge, and extending across the waist portion of the corset.v

from the front vertical stiffening members a to the rear vertical stiffening members b. Said members'e are arranged inclose proximity to:each other and practically edge to edge, there being only a sufficient separation proceed to describe and the hinges.-

1 between each member e and the next to permit the flexible cloth covering-strips f, which are placed upon opposite sides of said mem Fbers e, tobe connected between the members by li'nesg of stitches. The covering-stripsf form parts of the body of the corset and are suitably-stitched thereto, the said coveringjstrips fend the stitches g, uniting them be tween the stiffening members e, constituting .flexible connections between the said stiffening members 6. The members e and the flexible connections between them constitute elongated hinges extending horizontally along the waist portion of the corset from front to rear. Said hinge portions are practically inextensible lengthwise, so that they prevent the expansion of the waist portion, and are flexible crosswise, so that they permit the free bending of the body above the waist portion in various directions, and particularly sidewise.

g 9 represent a series of shorter vertical 'stitfening members,preferably strips of whalebone, extending from the upper edges of the hinge portions to the upper end of the corset, and g g represent similar shorter stiffening members extending from the lower edges of the hinge portionsto the lower end of the cor- 'set. Said shorter stilfening members 9 g afford .the desired su pport to the portions of the body covered by the corset immediately above and below the said hinges without interfering in anyway withthe above-described action of The inner ends of the members g g are insertedin sockets h h, which are affixed to the'body of the corset, the sockets 71 being above the members 6 and opening upward'lyto oppose downward movement of the members gfwhile the sockets h are located below the members e and open downwardly to opposeupward movement of the members g. Said sockets prevent the vertical members gg fromencroaching upon the hinge portions of the-corset.

It will be seen from theforegoing that my improved corset affords all necessary and desirable support to the body, besidespermitting-freedom of movement'tothebody, which would not be possible if the shorter-vertical stifiening members extended" continuously from the upper to the lower end of the corset.

I am aware that it has been heretoforeproposed to employ two series of shorter vertical stiffening members, one series extending from the upper end of the corset downwardly to the neighborhood of the waist portion and the other series extending upwardly from the lower end of the corset to the neighborhood of the waist portion, leaving, a flexible portion between the two series. I am not aware, however, that prior to my invention this flexi ble portion has been occupied by a series of horizontal stiifening-strips flexibly connected and constituting elongated hinges and two series of sockets, one series opposing downward movement of the upper stiifening members,

while the other series opposes upward movement of the lower stiffening members.

My improved corset is particularly adapted for the development of the bust and has been found to operate advantageously in this respect.

I claim- A corset composed of two side sections or halves, each having continuous stiffening members at its front and rear edges extending from the upper to the lower end of the corset, a plurality of horizontal stiffening members arranged edge to edge and extending between said vertical members at the waist portion of the corset, flexible connections between the horizontal members, said horizontal members and connections constituting elongated hinges at the waist portion of the corset, two series of shorter vertical stillening members extending from said hinges, one to the upper and the other to the lower end of the corset, and two series of metallic sockets attached to the body of the corset at opposite edges of said hinges, the series above the hinges being closed at their lower ends, while the series below the hinges are closed at their upper ends, one series of sockets opposing downward movement of the shorter vertical stiffening members above the hinges,

while the other series of sockets oppose upward movement of the shorter vertical stiffening members below the hinges.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANNIE E. PARSONS.

\Vitnesses:

O. F. BROWN, THOMAS W. Huamou. 

